I have drawn up plans for a Renaissance Henri III model. It is based on a trapezoidal hurdy gurdy from Paris circa 1750. Although the original didn't have 2 octaves on the key box. I have drawn them at A1 paper size (841mm x 594mm). There are 10 full size plan sheets to print out containg all the information needed to make one of these Renaissance hurdy gurdies. I have also written up construction information with photos to go with the plans

Click on the plan below, to be transported to the Henri 111 download page

the allure of the Hurdy Gurdy

Drehleier, vielle a roue, Ghironda, Zanfona, Tekerolant

~Whatever your flavour~

Many years ago I saw a black & white Spencer Tracey
Film Called “Captains courageous”.Spencer’s character played a bizarre mechanical fiddle called a Hurdy
Gurdy. From that point this instrument fascinated me. Finding one to play was
not very easy, so it was sometime before I was courageous enough to make one. I
had never seen a hurdy gurdy in the flesh before. This made troubleshooting a
long and sometimes painful process. My intention was to make a quick and dirty
hurdy gurdy by converting an old guitar. In the end I put more work and detail
into it and ended up with a very playable instrument that I named George. From then on I was hooked. Harry Wass, who is a good friend of mine was making a medieval fiddle around the time that I was making "George". We both finished our respective instruments at the same time. We set off to Salamanca markets in Hobart to do some busking, with great success.

Lira
organizzata (organ hurdy gurdy). I will finish my detailed drawing of
this instrument over the next few months/years and then put them up here.

Graeme and his Oud/Lute in 2011

photo by Fletcher McCormack

I also play lute and have adapted an old Syrian Oud to play like a renaissance 7-course Lute. I widened the neck and kept the same peg box. So instead of the traditional 13 strings for the 7 courses, I had to have a single low bass string as well as the single top chanterelle. To fit the 12 pegs of the Oud.

I am very lucky to live in Pelverata Tasmania. The valley is filled with musicians. There is a wonderful collection of lutes just down the road. The couple own a 7-course lute after G.Hieber made by Charles Moller, a 14-course Liuto Attiorbato after Christofolo Choc (1630) made by Charles Moller and a Vihuela made by Arnold Black. They also own the Hurdy Gurdy by Charles Moller after Varguin guitar backed model Paris (pictured above).

Harry Wass also lives in Pelverata and makes fine medieval and renaissance instruments. See his website in the makers links.